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1st Hurricane Growing In Gulf

TAMPICO, MEXICO — The first Atlantic hurricane of the year formed in the Gulf of Mexico late Friday and could threaten the coasts of Mexico and Texas early this week.

Eighteen Mexican ports along the gulf were closed Friday to small and medium crafts.

Hurricane Bret was 215 miles east of Tampico and heading north at 9 m.p.h., the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami reported. The storm crossed the hurricane threshold with maximum sustained winds of 75 m.p.h. and was expected to continue building strength and start gradually turning northwest.

James Franklin, a hurricane specialist at the center, said he suspects that it will reach the Mexican coast, probably Monday.

"Of course, there's enough uncertainty in the forecast," he said. If the storm doesn't start moving west, it may not strike land until it crosses the border into Texas.

A hurricane watch was in effect around the coastal town of La Pesca, 350 miles north of the city of Veracruz. Area residents were told to expect as much as 5 to 8 inches of rain this weekend.